The second edition of the Student Research Conference organized by the Deanship of Research at Sultan Qaboos University commenced today under the patronage of H.E. Dr Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor of SQU on Monday, 15 April 2019. This conference targeted SQU’s students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It received high level of participation from the SQU’s colleges. In order to promote its role in spreading research and cultivating the culture of research among students, SQU has expanded its call for participation for the Second Students Research Conference, which will be held in the academic year 2019, to all students enrolled in higher education institutions in the Sultanate.
The objectives of the Second Students Conference are aligned with the Oman Vision 2040 ambitions and emphasis on the importance of young people’s participation in shaping the future of Oman. The conference focuses on three main issues included in Oman Vision 2040: energy and environment, education, and economic diversification and sustainable development. Bachelor, master's and doctoral students from sciences and humanities fields in both public and private higher education institutions across Oman could submit their research papers for presentation at the conference. The best presented papers would qualify for awards by the organizing committee.
As many as 30 post-graduate students and 24 undergraduate students representing various higher educational institutions in Oman are participating in the second edition of the Student Research Conference. The participating universities: Sultan Qaboos University, Al Sharqiya University, Nizwa University, the Arab Open University, Shinas College of Technology, the Middle East College, Sur College of Applied Sciences, Muscat College, Al-Zahra College for women, Oman College of Management and Technology, and Oman College of Applied Sciences.
Dr. Yahya Al Wahibi, Dean of Research at SQU and Head of the Organizing Committee, said that the conference seeks to strengthen the research and innovation culture of students by creating a conducive environment to expanding their participation in all colleges and presenting their research and innovations. It is an opportunity to disseminate those achievements locally and globally. He added that there would be an international conference in the field of the Management of Research that will be held in October 2019. It aims to exchange the best practices in the management of research regionally and internationally, and identify the challenges and issues facing them.
On behalf of the participants Huda Al-Husani, aPhD student, delivered a talk in which she said that the conference helps to provide a channel for exchange of information and a gathering point for expertise from different fields, conducive environment to present their research, discuss recent developments and benefit from the opinions of academics, researchers and scientific committees.